Sterilizing apparatus.



G.- BENGS.

STERILIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1908.

999,294. Patented Aug. 1, 1 911.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

WITNESSES: IN VENTOR jfdac ZZ Gusfmrficn s D By sew; 24%

A TTORNE Y G. BENGS. STERILIZING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 28, 1908.

999,29%, Patented Aug. 1,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

j WITNESSES: Z INVENTOR fdd Z ./40 01 usl'av jerggs 7M1, By fa-MMMA ATTORNEY G. BENGS.

STERILIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 28, 1908.

999,294, Patented Au ;1,1911.

3 SHEETSSHEBT 8.

WITNESSES: .INVENTOR flit/(L I usl'avjengs m f Y Z MM ATTORNEY learns @FETGE.

G srAv BENGS, or roar warnninmnnn.

- srnnrm'zrne APPARATUS.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

Application filed. November 28, 1908; Serial No. 464,841.

To all whom it moi concern:

v Be-it known that I, GUSTAV BENGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the. county of Allen and State of Indiana, hve invented certain new and use. ful Improvements in Sterilizing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for sterilizing various fluids and particularly to apparatus by which milk, creamand the like, may be sterilized. In the preparation'ofcondensed or evaporated milk or'cream for the market the milk or cream is first relieved of most of its water, then sealed up in cans and then sterilized while in the sealed cans,'by sub-- jecting the cans and contents to heat and cold. Heretofore 1t has been the practice to handle and considerable time is consumed to pack the filled cans in'metallic boxes. The filled boxes are then placed within a rotating receptacle i to which steam is turned until a predetermined temperature is reached, at which time the steam is turned OH and water turned in to cool the contents.

This operation has its disadvantages. -,The boxes when filled are heavy and cumbersome in filling and unloading the cans as well as in placing the filled boxes into the rotating receptacle and removing them therefrom. Furthermore, since the cans are 'inclosed' 1n those metallic boxes it is impossible to heat the contents of the cans ina uniform man- The boxes must first be heated, and next to the surface of each e hottest, while those in the ner. the cans lyin box become t center are coolest at a given temperature for,

the interior of the rotating receptacle. In cooling the contents the same situation arises+the box must be cooled first, and the cans next to the same become the coolest. while those at the center remainat a higher temperature; It is impossible in such arrangements to hea and cool all the cans alike; hence a uniform sterilization of the contents of all the cans which are being treated is impossible, the resultbeing-that the apparatus turns out a product, part of which is sufficiently sterilized and'part insufiiciently sterilized. It is therefore very desirable to have a sterilizing means by which the product thereof shall be sterilized in a uniform manner with the least labor possible to the operator and do the work in a short space of time.

The object of my invention is to provide outer shell or A similar manhole 6 a pop valve'9, a vacuum gage the water which an apparatus in which milk or cream, which has been relieved of its water, may be economically and uniformly sterilized; and it consists of a skeleton frame carrying angularly disposed crates which are adapted to receive and retainjaplurality of milk and cream receptacles, the skeleton frame being mounted to rotate in the presence of steam or water within a casing or shell in such manner that all the receptacles shall directlycome in contact withthe steanror water. I In the drawings I illustrate the preferred form of construction embodying my invention, in which- Figure 1 is an elevational view of the device; Fig. 2 an end view of the same-with the end plate artially broken away to show a the interior; ig. 3 an elevational view of the same with the shell or casing removed and Fig. 4 a viewof the crate or container.

Similar numerals refer to like parts throughout, the drawings.

Referring to the drawings' I-provide an drum 1 which is preferably form, the ends being closed cylindrical in 2 and 3, all joints being made by end plates fluid'tight. In end plate 2 I provide a suithole 4 which is closed by cover 5.

and cover 7 are provided in end plate 3. {kt suitable points in shell 11 provide a'suitable steam gage 8,

able man etcr 11 and a water gage 12. In the upper portion of the shell'I provide a water spray comprising one or more perforated pipes 13, which are connected with connections 14 to a pipe 15,. connections 14 passin shell '1. Connection 16 in pipe-15 1s adapted to receive a pipe or other water line which 10, a thermomthrough i leads from a suitable water supply. In the 'lower portion of shell 11 provide one or more perforated steam pipes 17 one end of each of which passes through the shell to; the outside able steam supply at 17 A suitable waste ipe 18 having a valve 18 communicates with the lower portion of shell 1 to carry off enters the shell through sprays 13.

A shaft 19 extends longitudinally within shell 1 and is suitably supported by bearings 20 in each end plate. Mounted on this shaft is a skeleton frame ;21 comprising a series of similar circular plates 22, which are suitably fixed on shaft 19. Each plate is where it 15 connected to a suitprovided with a plurality of strips or bars 23 which project outwardly beyond the pe riphery of the plate and are arranged there- 'on in parallel pairs. A pair of bars 23 on each plate 22 is in longitudinal alinement with a pair of such bars on each of the other plates, and each set ofs'uch alined pairs of bars 23 form supports to which are attached Y four parallel and longitudinallyextending angle bars 24:; the angle bars being mounted on bars 23 so that the angleof each bar 24 opens inwardly. Angle bars 2% as thus mounted on each setof bars 23 form supporting or retaining frames 24 which are adapted to receive and support crates or con tainers 25. These crates consist of a plurality of longitudinally extending runways or ways on their curved surfaces, as will be explained hereinafter. essary to construct the runways of sufficient size asto their transverse cross section to. freely receive and retain the receptacles It is therefore necwhich contain the goods to be sterilized. Any convenient number of runways maybe provided in the crates andif it"should be so desired a crate may be: permanently fixed The main advantage to skeleton frame 21. in having the crates removable from the skeleton frame is to enable the operator to .insert crates whichwill receive and retain receptacles of different sizes.

The supporting frames 2 are disposed on I skeleton frame 21 in such a manner that a" a 19', but is in-a of said shaft. plished by mounting the sets of alined pairs of bars 23 on plates 22 in such a manner .for angle bars 26 which are crate which may be within one of the supporting frames will be held to the periphery of the several plates 22. on an angle with respect to their' longitudinal axis. Since plates 22 are of the same diameter none of the crates tapers in its position toward shaft plane parallel to the' plane This angularity is accomthat the successive pairs of those bars from the front plateto the rear plate shall circumferentially lag behind the pair in front of it, such lagging being the same for all the pairs in the several sets of bars 23. Since the lag of each pair of bars'23 behind the pair on the plate in front of it'is the same the bars forming a set are in alinement and are adapted to serve as supports straight.v This angularity which I provide for supporting frames 24 and their crates 25 enables .each crate to have its front end elevated above suitable manner,

the rear end during part of its revolua Fig. 2, therefore as crate 25 rises the front end is higher than the rear end while as the crate descends on the other side of skeleton frame 21 the rear end is higher than thefront end. Such a change of inclination or angularity is evident from the mannerin which the crate is held to the skeleton frame 21. .Each crate acts in the same way, as frame 21 is revolved. The purpose of this change of inclination of the crate is to give a to and fro motion to the milk receptacles 25. Since these receptacles are placed in the runways.of the crate on, their curved surfaces they will tend to roll back and forth in those runways as theinclination of the 'crate changes. It is evident that the eceptacles must not be crowded into the runways so. as to prevent the to and fro motion of those receptacles.

Manholes 4 and. 6 are arranged in end plates 2 and 3 so ,as'to register with the'front that crate is in the position of its front end being elevated above its rear'end. By this arrangement of the manholes gravity will enable the operator to load the crate with the milk receptacles, the latter rolling down the runways to fill the same, emptying the runways of the receptacles so I and rear ends of a crate respectively when and also in after the sterilizing operation is completed.

A gate or door 29 is mounted on skeleton frame, 21 at each end ofeach supporting frame 24?, which is adapted to close that end of each frame 24 and thus prevent the escape of the milk receptacles from the ends of the crate within such frame. Gate 29 on the rear end of each-frame 24 to be let down into manhole -6, thereby releasing the milk receptacles from the crate and providing a means by which themilk receptacles may be led from he crate out through'the manhole to the on side.

A toothed member 30 surrounds and is mounted on the skeleton frame 21 in any and is adapted to mesh with gear 31 which is mounted on shaft 32. A suitable stufiing box 33 is mounted on'shell 1 and incloses gear 31 and a portion of shaft '32, and forms a bearing, for that'shaft, the

other end of the shaft being supported in bearing 34 which is mounted on pedestal 35.

shaft 32 is a 'worm gear On the outer end of 36 which meshes with a worm 37 mounted on shaft 38 which shaftis suitably sup ported on pedestal 35, shaft pulley power is applied to drive the several gears'and the skeleton frame.

In operation manhole 4 is uncovered and 32 also carrying a pulley 39 and friction clutch 40 to which is adapted I a container is placed in that frame andfilled with the milk receptacles, and so on until all or as many of the'supporting frames as is desired shall be provided with crates and receptacles. Steam is turned on through pipes 17 and power is applied to pulley 39 to drive the skeleton frame 21'with its burden of receptacles through the steam which fills all parts of shell 1. When the temperature within the shell has risento the desired 2 point as indicated by'thermometer 11 the supply of steam is cut oif from entering I steam pipe or pipes 17 by any suitable means,

[and wateris turned into the sprays 13. By

' means of-perforated pipes 13 the wateris sprayed over the rotating milk receptacles 7 and falls to the lower portion of the shell where 'it'jaccumulat'es', (valve '18 being closed) until Water-gage 12 indicates that thewat er has risen in the shell to a height sufficient to cover the contents of a crate when that crate is in the lowermost position" of its revolution.- 'VVh'en the desired. low

temperature, as indicated by thermometer 11, has been reached, the water supply is cut I flofii, the' rotation of the revolving structure'jis stopped by use of clutch or the 40 shutting down of the power. Cover 7 is opened and, if it should be necessary, skele ton frame 21 is rotated until the rear. end

rof one of the crates registers with manhole 6; Gate 29 is let down into manhole 6 which permits the receptacles to roll out :of the crate onto the gate and to the outside through the manhole where they may be. collected in any convenient manner. The rearend of i I another crate is brought into registry with manhole 6, its gate opened and its receptacles permitted to roll out as before,-the operation being continued until all the re- .ce tacles are removed from the crates. r all the water has passed out through waste pipe 18 and the crates are empty the device is ready for another complete operation.

The crates 25 and supporting frames 24*" being formed of spaced bars, leave a conside erable portion of eachmilk receptacleiexe frame 21 and their inclination 'chang esas pipes a uniform arranged 'lon posed to the steam" and water; and since'the. crates are angularlydisposed on the rotating;

crates, thereby exposing all parts of each receptacle to the steam and water;

It is apparent that by admitting the steam and water into shell 1 through perforated distribution of both takes place within the shell, and by having each milk receptacle individually exposed to that steam or water each receptacle receives the same degree of heat and cold, thereby pro-v ducing a uniform product as'a result of the operation of the device. By, my device I am, therefore, able to uniformly heat and cool the contents of all'the receptacles which are placed in the same for sterilization and thereby produce a product which has been uniformly sterilized. I am also able to make a large saving time and labor in the handling of the receptacles, particularly in loading and unloading the machine;

. It is apparent that my invention is available for use in connection with the. sterili= zation of-any material'which it is desired to rotate in the presence of heat and cold; Many modifidations are possible, but I have shown and describedv the preferred jfornr and manner in which my invention may be carried out in practice.

What I claim .1. A sterilizing apparatus'comprising an outer shell provided with-a heating andcooling supply, a frame revolubly mounted with- .j the shell and having means thereon to diagonally, re ative to the. pathof motion of the same, and means to rotate the frame. 2. A sterilizing apparatus comprising anouter shellhaving connected thereto a .heating and coolingsupply, a frame revolubly Y mounted-therein, a cratesupported on the frame longitudinally of the latter and diagonally relative to its path of. motion, and means to rotate, the frame. v r

3. Ina sterilizin apparatus the combination of a sh'elLan meanscOnnectedJthereto' toheat and cool the interior thereoffof a frame revolubly mounted within the shell,

a plurality of food receptacle sup ortsar- 'support a food'receptacle, said means being itudinally of theframe and ranged onthe frame longitudinal y of-its length and diagonally to the' path of its motion, and means to rotate the frame.

4. In a sterilizing apparatus the-combination with an outer shell havin doors arranged in opposite ends thereof in different horizontal planes, va frame revolubly mounted within the shell and carrying a plurality of receptacle supports which are arranged thereon longitudinally oftheframe ariddiagonally' relative -to the .path of motion of said frame, and means torotatethe]frame.

5. In a sterilizing apparatus. the combi' "nation of a revolubleframehavingarecepf f'ongitudinally of the frame and diagonally relative to the path of motion of theframe, means I fade support arranged thereon},

to rotate the frame and means to heat and cool the receptacles.

6. In a sterilizing apparatus the oombination of an outer shell, a-frame revolubly' mounted Within the shell and carrying a plurality of removable receptacle supports, the supports being arranged longitudinally of the frame and diagonally relative to the path of. motion of the same.

an outer'shell, having doors arranged in its opposite ends'in different horizontal planes, 1 a frame revolubly mounted within the shell,

a food'receptac le support carried by the and-the other extremity adjacent the other door whereby the food receptaclelis inserted into the ,support through the upper door andafter treatment is discharged by gravity through the other door.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe 1 GUSTAV BENGS Witnesses: I a v I ELWIN M. HULsE, HELEN F. GLENN.

y nyname i'nthe' presence oftwo Witnesses. 7.. In a sterlhzmg apparatus comprising 

